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1. P. LECRONE. SIGNAL CARRYING FUNNEL. APFyLlcATloN FILED Nov.22. 191s.

Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

JGHN F. LECRONE, F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL-CARRYING- FUNNEL.

Specication of Lettera Patent.

Patenten sept. 16,1919.

Application filed November 27, 1918. Serial No. 264,429.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P.. LEoRoNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Si stl-Carrying Funnels, ot which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to tunnels, and particularly to a signaling device for tunnels to indicate when a barrel or other contamer has been lled.

IlFhe general object of the invention is to provide a funnel' with a combined signaling device constituting a unitary structure Wit the tunnel and so formed that the funnel may be inserted in the container or tank, and liquid be poured into the tank in the usual manner and further so constructed that a signal light or other electrically actuated signal vvill be displayed or rendered active when the liquid in the tank has risen to a predetermined point to thus prevent over- How and the Waste of the liquid.

ln garages and other like places, Where gasolene tanks are filled, and particularly where the fillin of the asolene tank occurs at night, there 1s consi erable Waste due to the operator not knowing that the tank is very nearly full and the consequent overflowing of the gasolene and if care be taken that the tank does not overflow, then this involves a loss of time.

llroadly considered my invention consists in the provision, in connection with a funnel, ot a normally denergized signal lamp through which the circuit is closed when a lioat mounted in a portion of the funnel 1 ises to a predetermined point.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Whereinz Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a tunnel constructed in accordance with my invention;

llig. 2 is a nections; and

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the Jfunnel with the automatic circuit breaker in its open osition.

lleerring to these drawings, it will be seen that the funnel is of the usual shape but that forming part of the funnel and eX- tending down from the top or upper portion of the funnel into the nozzle thereof is a tube or duct l2 which at its lower end is diagram ot the electrical conpartially closed by a screw plug 13 having a relatively small aperture throu h it. Disposed in the vertical portion of t e duct 12, that is, that portion which extends longitudinally throu h the nozzle of the funnel, is a float 14, which is of any suitable construction but which is preferably of thin sheet metal such as copper.

Attached to the exterior of the funnel and preferably near its upper end is a battery containing housing or case 15, Within which is disposed the usual dry battery such as is used for liashlights and like purposes. Car ried on this case or housing 15in any suitable manner is an incandescent electric lamp 16. This electric lamp is connected by its central terminal to the battery 17, as illustrated in the diagrammatic View Fig. 2 and the exterior terminal ot' the lamp is electrically engaged by the metallic casing 15 to the duct 12, and the metallic Wall of the funnel 10. From the exterior terminal of the battery 17 extends a conductor 18 to a contact 19 and coactin with this contact is a circuit closing mem yer 2O normally urged, as by resilience, into spaced relation to the contact19.

The circuit closer 20 is connected to a wire 21 'which passesthrough an insulating block 22 through which the Wire 18 passes. This Wire 21 extends up through the duct 12 to any desired height and then out through the Wall of the casing, from which it is insulated, to a contact 23 upon the exterior of the funnel wall. Attached to the nozzle of the funnel is a metallic, resilient member 24 in the nature of a leaf spring, Whose upper end is normally held out of engagement with the contact 23, but which when forced inward engages with this contact 23 and thus closes the circuit at this point. Thus when the funnel is inserted within the. filling opening of a container, this spring will be forced inward and this portion of the circuit will be automatically closed. When the funnel is Withdrawn from the container, however, this circuit closer or switch formed by the member 24 will open, thus breakin the circuit at this point and thus preventing the battery .from running down or becoming eX- hausted accidentally.

In the use of this device it is inserted in the usual manner into the container A and then, as before stated, the member 24 closes against the contact 23. The circuit, however, through the battery and lamp still re- Inally mains open, because the circuit closer 20 is open. As the liquid rises within the container A, however, the float 14 will rise until when the container is filled to its capacity, the oat will strike the circuit closer 20, shift this circuit closer into its closed position, and thus the circuit will be completed through the lamp, whereupon the lamp will glow and indicate to the operator that the container has been filled.

It is obvious, of course, that the funnel may have any shape desired for the particular work it is designed to perform and that it may be made of any suitable material. It will be noted also that the funnel and the signal are combined in one unitary structure which may be readily carried from any pointl in the garage and safely used and that there is no necessity for the operator measuring the depth of liquid in the tank or using a lamp to make certain that the tink is not overflowing.

l. A funnel carryin a signal light and an energizing battery t erefor connected in a circuit interrupted at two points, `float operated means for closing the circuit at one of these points and disposed within the funnel, and means mounted upon the exterior of the funnel for automatically closing the circuit when the funnel is inserted in the container, but breaking the circuit when the funnel is raisedpfrom the container. Y.

2. A funnel having a contracted nozzle, a signal lamp and energizing battery therefor connected in a circuit interrupted at two points, a circuit closer disposed in the upper portion of the contracted part of the funnel and normally open, a float disposed in the contracted portion of the lfunnel and adapted to engage said circuit closer to close the circuit at this point, and a noropen circuit closer mounted upon the exterior of the funnel and resiliently urged to its open position and including a resilient member attached to the lower end of the contracted portion -of the funnel and adapted to be forced inward by the insertion of a funnel into a container.

3.' A funnel of the character described having an upwardly Haring body and a contracted nozzle, a duct extendin downward along the side wall of the boy and then downward through the nozzle, a oat disposed therein, an insulating member disposed at the upper end of the straight portion of the duct, a lampand an energizin battery therefor carried upon the funne the lamp being connected on one side to the battery, a circuit closer mounted in the upper end of the straight portion of the duct and adapted to be engaged by the ioat, the circuit closer being connected in circuit with the lamp and battery, a conductor extending up through the insulating member into said duct and out through the wall thereof and insulated therefrom and having a contact, and a circuit closer including a member connected to the nozzle and coacting with said contact and being normally held in spaced relation thereto, the wall of the funnel and the member forming part of the circuit to said battery.

4. A Vfunnel of the character described having an upwardly Haring body and a contracted nozzle, a duct extending downward along the side wall of the body and then vertically downward through the nozzle, an insulating member disposed in the upper end of the straight portion of the duct, a battery housing mounted upon the body, a battery therein, a signal lamp carried on the housing and electrically connected by one of its terminals to the battery, and by its other terminal to the funnel body, a conductor connectin r to the other terminal of the battery and extending downward ,through said duct and through the insulatlng member and terminating in a contact, a conductor extending along said duct and through the insulating member, a normally open circuit closer connected to said conductor and coacting with the contact, a float disposed within the lower end of the duct and adapted to shift the circuit closer to a closed position when raised, a perforated plug disposed in the lower end of the duct, a contact upon the exterior of the body connected to the second named conductor, and a circuit closing member electrically connected to the nozzle and coacting with said last named Contact but being normally held from engagement therewith, the member being formed to be forced inward toward the body by the insertion of the funnel in a container.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN P. LECRONE. Witnesses:

CHAs. M. LAWER, AMANDA E. Lnonorm. 

